Fokus Bauhaus Symposium: Bauhaus and Nordic Design

What is the meaning of Bauhaus in the Nordic countries and how does it relate to Nordic design and architecture today? Is there a mutual philosophy and a shared history or should we see them as separate worlds? These questions will be dealt in a one-day symposium that will be organized on September Friday 13th at the Design Museum Helsinki.

Just like Nordic Design, the term Bauhaus indicates modern, functional and democratic design. The centennial of the German art school Bauhaus (1919–33) gives an opportunity to look at this link closer and search for influences, parallels and differences. The symposium is part of the program for the Fokus Bauhaus (19.8.2019-2.2.2020) intervention exhibition in the Design Museum’s permanent collection exhibition Utopia Now – The Story of Finnish Design. The curators of the exhibition are Julia Meer from Berlin and Julia Kartesalo from Helsinki.

Fokus Bauhaus Symposium will be organised jointly by Design Museum Helsinki and the Museum of Finnish Architecture with support from the Goethe-Institut Finnland and Estrid Ericsons Stiftelse.

PROGRAMME

12.00-12.45 Pre Symposium programme
Possibility to participate in open workshop at Design Museum:
WeavingKiosk featuring Emelie Röndahl: “What can I know that you know about weaving?”

12.45 Opening words by museum director Jukka Savolainen, Design Museum Helsinki

13.00–14:30 Panel: NETWORKS AND TRANSFORMATIONS

INTRODUCTION:
Bauhaus in Finland? – In search of the (missing) link

Juhana Lahti, PhD, Head of Information Services and Research, Museum of Finnish Architecture
Leena Svinhufvud, PhD, Educational Curator, Head of Learning, Design Museum Helsinki

PRESENTATIONS:

Three Swedish architects traveled to Dessau. What impact did this have on Sweden?
Kerstin Wickman, Professor emerita in design and craft history, Konstfack – University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, Stockholm

The Bauhaus Weaver and Textile designer Otti Berger (1898-1944/45) and her Scandinavian connections
Widar Halén, PhD, Senior Researcher, National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo

“What can I know that you know about weaving?”
Rosa Tolnov Clausen, Textile designer, PhD candidate at HDK ­– Academy of Design and Crafts, Gothenburg
Emelie Röndahl, Textile artist, PhD candidate at HDK – Academy of Design and Crafts, Gothenburg

Coffee break
Visit to exhibition the Fokus Bauhaus exhibition, Design Museum

15.15–16:45  Panel: BRANDING AND MARKETING

INTRODUCTION:

Buy buy Bauhaus, HAY New Nordic
Julia Meer, PhD, designer and design historian

PRESENTATIONS:

Iittala, Artek and Lego – The Visual Rhetorics of Nordic Brands
Arne Scheuermann, PhD., Professor at Bern University of the Arts HKB

Alvar Aalto as a brand
Tommi Lindh, Managing Director, Alvar Aalto Foundation

Affordable Luxury? Marketing everyday design – from Bauhaus to New Nordic
Anders V. Munch, PhD., Professor in Design Culture, University of Southern Denmark

17:00-18:00 Visit the Museum of Finnish Architecture

Registration to the symposium: info@designmuseum.fi